Utah Utes football: BIngham's Harvey Langi opts for Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Bingham High School's highly touted running back Harvey Langi has announced that he will sign a national letter of intent to play football for the University of Utah next season.

Langi was listed as a four-star recruit and narrowed his choices down to USC and the Utes before committing to Utah on national television during the High School Army All-American game Saturday afternoon on ESPN.

"I think it's a tremendous fit. I think he's gone through the process (and) looked at all the variables," said Langi's offensive coordinator at Bingham, John Lambourne. "I think he's done a nice job of doing his homework.

"This started a long time ago, of course, for him. He had offers prior to his sophomore year. I'm sure that he's relieved to have been able to make a decision, and I'm sure the University of Utah is happy to have him and he'll be terrific up there."

Harvey Langi (Deseret News)

Langi has been the catalyst in the Bingham backfield since his sophomore year, helping the Miners claim back-to-back state 5A titles in 2009 and 2010 along with a second-place finish in 2008.

In his three years with the Miners, he racked up 570 carries for 4,289 yards and 55 touchdowns. Langi isn't a typical running back for his size (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) with deceptively quick bursts and outstanding power with 4.5 40-yard speed.

"Versatility," said Lambourne when asked what he thought Langi will bring to the Utes next season. "You're talking about a big kid and he can catch the ball out of the backfield. We had him running routes out of the slot and he did a nice job with that. His ability to run after the catch is tremendous and I think that bodes well."

Utah was in desperate need of finding a replacement for seniors Eddie Wide and Matt Asiata, who both wrapped up their collegiate careers in the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas, as well as Sausan Shakerin, who was declared medically ineligible due to multiple concussions.